“Highly sensitive intelligent work has also been conducted by the Cowpens in the South China Sea area, in the name of escort operations through Malacca or the free passage of the South China Sea, while the targets have always been Chinese waters and its submarines”, the source told the Global Times. Pictured here: USS Cowpens on military maneuvers at sea.
An op-ed by Global Times quotes a Chinese military source in an article titled: “U.S. plays innocent after near collision at sea “, suggesting the Ticonderoga-class USS guided missile cruiser entered within “45 kilometers of the inner defense layer of a Chinese fleet formation at sea on December 5, 2013.
According to the piece “the USS Cowpens was tailing after and harassing the Liaoning formation(“Liaoning” refers to a Chinese air craft carrier). It took offensive actions at first toward the Liaoning formation on that day of the confrontation”, said the source (see video: Newspaper says USS Cowpens harassed China fleet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTDylepwO7c).
The Chinese source cited an article in chinanews.com which suggested the U.S. Navy has been “scouting” around Chinese waters.
The source went on to suggest that the USS Cowpens was specifically “targeting” submarines in Chinese waters (source: http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/pla-daily-commentary/2013-12/16/content_5691676.htm).
See also video: Ticondogora Cruiser Anti Submarine warfare capabilities http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nllHQwvobwM
The USS Cowpens is an advanced surface asset that brings outstanding Anti Air warfare, Anti submarine warfare, surface warfare and communications capability to the United States Pacific fleet. It is manned by approximately 325 sailors.
See video: USS Cowpens http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvSqkOrLTKQ
See video: USS Cowpens commissioning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGTMdN2t_Qk
The report was filed under “opinion” on the website sponsored by the PLA Daily of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army – Defense Ministry http://eng.chinamil.com.cn